CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY AT THE MENOPAUSE

Abstract

Menopause is characterized by many huge changes in the quality of women's life. Hormonal changes, accompanied by numerous symptoms cause changes in body composition and increasing the body mass index (BMI). Decreased estrogen levels cause increased visceral adipose tissue, lean mass loss, bone mineral density loss, decreased protein. In the early postmenopausal years, women who do not take estrogen therapy typically gain fat mass and lose lean mass. All these effects on body composition are major risk factors for hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, dyslipidemia, psychiatric disorders (depression, dementia), osteoarthritis, osteoporosis. Abdominal obesity influences blood pressure by increasing insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, increasing insulinemia, which causes increased adrenergic activity, producing vasoconstriction. Increased BMI in postmenopausal women is associated with increased risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer.

Keywords

• menopause
• obesity
• cardiovascular risk
• cancer risk